Baton Rouge will only hold half a celebration as the Jaguars men’s team fell short of a 22-point comeback as the Panthers held on to win the men’s 2026 SWAC Championship at Gateway Center Arena.
Prairie View led from start to finish after jumping out to a 41-28 lead into halftime. Cory Wells led the charge for the Panthers with 11 points on 4-8 shooting from the floor. The Panthers shot over 50% from beyond the arc in the first half in comparison to the Jaguars’ 20%.
Guard Michael Jacobs led all scorers with 19 points, including 10 points in the first half. AJ Barnes backed him up with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Coming in as the number 8 seed meant the Panthers had to do what no other team has done in the SWAC, go 4-0 in winning the title. They got off to a great start, beating lower-seeded Alcorn State and then top-seeded Bethune-Cookman on back-to-back nights. Alabama A&M was the next to fall to the Panthers.
What made the Panthers’ run so impressive is that head coach Bryon Smith only had 10 players to choose from on the team. Only two of the five bench players saw any action.
The Panthers’ lead grew to a high of 22 points on a free throw by guard Lance Williams. Eight minutes later, the lead had dwindled to eight on a jumper by guard Cam Amboree. Southern cut the lead to four three minutes later as Prairie View struggled getting the ball across halfcourt.
Center/forward Corey Dunning picked up his fifth foul during the span and was replaced by Hassane Diallo. Diallo, a transfer from D2 Fort Valley State, turned out to be the x-factor down the stretch. His four points and three rebounds kept the Jags at bay.
Prairie View’s record will likely net them a play-in game in the NCAA Tournament.